Anne Renée Rob

“I hope that, after my clients acquire a piece of my jewelry, they will continue to enjoy wearing it for many years.”

Born in Bindjei, Sumatera, Indonesia—formerly the Dutch East Indies—Anne Renée Rob has lived a life shaped by resilience, creativity, and a devotion to craftsmanship. Of Dutch heritage, she and her family survived the Japanese concentration camps during World War II before immigrating to the United States in 1960. She became a U.S. citizen in 1965, beginning a new chapter that would eventually lead her into the world of contemporary jewelry.

Anne’s formal art education began at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague, where she studied from 1957 to 1960. Her interest in metals developed later when she was introduced to jewelry making. “My background is in art, but I developed my interest in metals when I was introduced to jewelry making at The University of Tennessee at Martin,” Anne explains.

Working with metal became her artistic voice. “Once I learned to control the intricacies of working with metals, I felt that I had come home,” Anne says. “In short, I had found the medium that enabled me to express myself.” Her hope for each client is simple and heartfelt:

“I hope that, after my clients acquire a piece of my jewelry, they will continue to enjoy wearing it for many years.”

Anne’s work has been featured in numerous juried fairs and exhibitions, including TACA, Southern Highlands Craft Fairs, the Evansville Museum of Arts & Science, Seduction of Metals, A.V.A. Chattanooga, and more. In 2012, the Tennessee State Museum purchased one of her bracelets for its permanent collection.

She remains an active member of Tennessee Crafts, the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Stones River Crafts Association, and the American Craft Council. Grateful for those who guided her, Anne reflects, “Art to me is a gift that sustains me and I am so very lucky for the teachers who made that possible.”

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See Anne’s work at Gallery 202, in downtown Franklin, or online at gallery202art.com.